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Hotel alternative in India: The homestay option

Mariellen — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:41:23 +0000

Hotels are fine, but homestay is an ideal way to experience travel in India

Hotels are fun, and even cheap hotels have their charms. But sometimes, you have to dig deeper. Indian hospitality is justifiably famous — captured by the slogan, Atithi Devo Bhava, which means The Guest is God. To fully experience this philosophy in action, and to really get to know the culture when you travel in India, you have to stay with an Indian family. But what do you do if you don’t know anyone?

Well, you could try booking through a company like Mahindra Homestays. They are India’s most well-known homestay company. I asked Japa Ghosh, head of marketing at Mahindra Homestays, to fill us in about the homestay option for travellers to India. Here’s what you need to know to find, book and enjoy a homestay, including etiquette tips.

I have found from personal experience that staying with an Indian family while travelling in India was a very culturally rich experience. No longer was I “just a tourist;” I was a member of the family. I hope you give yourself this experience next time you are in India, especially after reading this and getting to know the ropes.

BDG: What is a homestay and how does it work? How is it different than staying in a hotel?

MH: When you stay in a homestay you are a guest in a private home. You will have your own room, normally with an ensuite bathroom, and with all the sort of luxuries you might expect to find in a boutique hotel.

Homestays are run by the homeowners themselves, who are keen to welcome guests into their private homes, to share experiences and relationships which is something hotels simply can’t provide. It takes the detachment away from tourism and gives you a unique and unforgettable experience of the intricacies of Indian life and culture.

Meals are home cooked and authentic, fresh tea and coffee are delivered to your room and guests are treated with the warmth and heartfelt hospitality that India is famed for.

BDG: How do you find a suitable homestay, and how do you know if it’s clean and safe?

MH: The standard and quality of homestays in India can vary dramatically. Anybody can set themselves up as a homestay host and there are no regulations relating to safety and standards.

It is important that if you want to find a high quality homestay that you do some research or book through a reputable agent who can offer some form of guarantee as to what you will be getting.

Mahindra Homestays have a strict selection criterion before taking on a homestay. We look for properties that are unique in some way, or are managed by hosts who will go the extra distance to ensure their guests have a good stay. All Mahindra Homestays are regularly inspected to ensure they comply with standards that include comfort, cleanliness, safety and originality.

Independent homestays should be thoroughly researched before you book, check review sites such as Trip Advisor for recent guest feedback and ask for recommendations on travel forums such as India Mike (but beware of being approached directly by touts).

BDG: How do you book a homestay, what are the usual policies?

MH: Your booking options will depend on your choice of homestay. Many private homestays do not have facilities for taking online bookings, but will accept reservations by phone or email.

Mahindra Homestays are able to take online bookings through our secure site for all our homestays, much in the same way that you would book a hotel. Alternatively, you can book direct with our call centre team, who can also assist you with any transportation requirements, such as train tickets or a car and driver.

BDG: What is the proper etiquette in a homestay: for example, do you tip the owners? Are you required to do any cleaning?

MH: It is important to remember you are a guest in somebody’s home and as such they may have a curfew or house rules, which you would be expected to comply with. These generally would not be too onerous, but relate to things such as keeping the noise down after a certain hour.

You are not required to do any cleaning or chores, although some guests enjoy volunteering in the plantations and working farms for a few hours so they can learn about daily life, such as how tea, coffee and spices are produced; or they might have a go at farming activities such as milking. There is no requirement to tip the owners.

BDG: Why is a homestay in India a good idea?

MH: A homestay offers access to unique activities and events, whether it be adventurous, cultural, historical, relaxation or culinary. Your hosts open up their home and daily life to you and you get a glimpse into the real India that you might otherwise miss staying in a hotel.

It is not unusual for guests to be invited to join the family to attend a small local festival or take a trip to the market to buy the ingredients for dinner.

Experiences such as behind the scenes visits to Bollywood film sets, kayaking or night-fishing in the backwaters, trekking with a conservationist for the elusive tiger or snow leopard or wildlife safaris as well as having dinner with a Maharaja, taking a cooking class, and more, can be arranged through your hosts local connections.

Homestays also encourage responsible tourism. Mahindra Homestays has initiated many programs that a large number of homestays have incorporated. Through their teachings and methods homestays and travellers can have positive and lasting impact on the environment while boosting the regional socio-economic conditions.

BDG: Any tips on the best way to take advantage of a homestay?

MH: To get the best out of your homestay experience make sure you take full advantage of your hosts’ local knowledge. They will be able to advise you on things to do and see in the local area and help you arrange any activities, ensuring you are charged a fair price.

Eating at your homestay offers the opportunity to try some delicious home cooked food and many of the hosts’ are well known for their cooking. Don’t forget to ask for the recipes of your favourite dishes, a souvenir you can share with your friends back home as you recreate the taste of India in your own kitchen.

BDG: Thanks so much! If you want to know more, read the Mahindra Homestays blog for tips, info and contests!

NOTE: All photos courtesy Mahindra Homestays.

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Fashionable travel clothes at Shopgirls

Mariellen — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:53:34 +0000

At the Shopgirls boutique

Breathedreamgo now has official clothing supplier!

Recently, I was walking along Queen St. W., in Parkdale, Toronto, when I discovered Shopgirls. I couldn’t believe it: a store in my neighbourhood, with a great atmosphere and staff, that has gorgeous, affordable women’s clothes that travel well and that you can buy online! And then I met the owner, Michelle Germain, and knew instantly that we were like-minded, and that she was the reason I like the clothes so much. So I asked Michelle if she would be willing to become the “official fashion clothing supplier” for Breathedreamgo — in other words for me! — and she said yes. She is totally cool.

I’ve been so busy travelling and writing the last few years, I stopped paying attention to my wardrobe and how I look. But now that Breathedreamgo and my travel career are both doing so well, and I am going to meetings and speaking at conferences, I felt it was time for a makeover and especially for new clothes. So Michelle spent a couple of hours with me and put me in some of Shopgirl’s most classic and fashionable women’s clothes.

At the Shopgirls boutique

The essential pieces she started me off with were Second Denim yoga jeans that are super comfortable, a flowing silk “Lily” top in deep teal and a red purse by Nella Bella called The London Bag Multi-Tasker. Shopgirls is big on yoga jeans, and offers the biggest selection in Canada. The Lily top by Veronique Miljkovitch can be scrunched up and jammed in a suitcase or backpack and comes out looking good. The wrinkles only change the top’s style; they don’t ruin it.

moi trying on a dress by Veronique Miljkovitch - I bought it in blue

They also love Nella Bella purses. I took my “multi-tasker” to Halifax with me and loved the versatility. It is composed of five pieces: a large and small purse and three separate straps. I carried it on the plane as a messenger bag, and then when I went out for dinner, I put the chain handle on only the small bag, and I had a smart evening purse.

While there are many designers represented at Shopgirls, I kept falling in love with pieces by Melissa Nepton and Veronique Miljkovitch. Both of these designers make elegant, flowing, flattering clothes that suit my age, but that allow me to retain my “funky integrity,” as my friend Shelly put it. Shelly, owner of Lila Yoga Toronto came with me to take photos and offer a sound second opinion.

I also bought a flowing off-white top called Jasmine by Melissa Nepton, a flowing top called Uma by Veronique Miljkovitch and a simple pencil skirt by The Paddock.

Among other reasons for loving Shopgirls is that the store features all-Canadian clothes. This is from their website:

2 of 5 pieces of The London Bag Multi-tasker

“Established in Parkdale Village since 2007, Shopgirls features the best of up-and-coming and reputable Canadian designers. Pieces are carefully edited to cater women of all shapes and sizes… celebrating the female form as it should be. You will find stylish and creative pieces from over 50 Canadian designers including the most figure flattering jeans in the world!

Armed with the best selection in Canada, and boasting over 5,000 happy bums who’ve been fitted in Second Denim’s Yoga Jeans, the Shopgirls team offers expert advice on making all women look and feel incredible. Fashion need not be so serious ladies…bring your babies, dogs, smiles, and fabulousness and let the Shopgirls team work their magic!”

The 5-in-1 Dress: Perfect for travel

One of Shopgirls’ specialties, perfect for travel, is the 5-in-1 Dress. This slinky dress can actually be worn much more than five ways — if you watch the video you’ll see what I mean.

Check out the Shopgirls website. You can order their clothes from around the globe. And write to me if you want my opinion! I am sure I will be visiting the store often. Thanks so much to Michelle and Ashleigh of Shopgirls, and my friend Shelly for a wonderful, and long overdue, shopping spree. I hope this is just the beginning of a beautiful — and fashionable! — friendship.

Photo courtesy Katherine Holland.

[DISCLOSURE NOTE: Yoga Jeans, Lily top and Nella Bella bag provided by Shopgirls for promotional consideration. But I would have bought them.]

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How to “do” a yoga ashram in India

Mariellen — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:38:11 +0000

Yoga Ashram India series on TravelWireAsia

I write a regular ‘column’ for the TravelWireAsia website about India, yoga and travel in Asia (my favourite continent for travel!). Recently, I published a three-part series on How to “do” a yoga ashram in India. Here’s a synopsis of each post — to read the full article click on the link provided.

Part 1: How to find an ashram in India

HAVE you considered going to an ashram in India? This is a 3-part series on where to go, what you need to know and what to expect.

Holy men have been congregating in ashrams in India to meditate and chant since the dawn of time. But they’ve only become popular as a traveller’s destination since The Beatles went to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram in Rishikesh in the late 1960s and yoga became a worldwide phenomenon.

The best way to find an ashram is to ask people you know, especially your yoga teacher. Some of the questions you should ask include: Does the ashram or school take foreign students; do they have a program for foreigners? Is instruction in English? Where, exactly, is the ashram or school; is it accessible and in a place that has access to trains, the Internet, etc. Click here to read the full article How to find an ashram.

Part 2: What to pack and how to get ready for your ashram adventure

Once you’ve decided to stay at an ashram in India, and you know where you’re going, it’s time to start getting ready. Find out everything you can about the ashram – including the amenities, daily routine, accommodations and what you need to bring. Talk to people who’ve been there to find out what it’s really like.

Ashrams are not hotels, they do not come equipped with mod cons and supplies. They tend to be very simple, and you have to bring almost everything you need with you – but remind yourself that you are not going to indulge in luxury. Bring what you need, but bring the bare minimum, such as: all the toiletries you need, including soap, shampoo and medications, a flashlight, a towel, a shawl or sweater (it can be chilly at night in winter and in the mountains), loose cotton clothes, preferably Indian-style (Lululemon spandex just doesn’t cut it), flipflops and/or sandals, etc. Click here to read the full article What to pack and how to get ready for your ashram adventure in India.

Yoga capital of the world: RIshikesh, India

Part 3: What to expect at an ashram and the daily routine

Preparations can only take you so far when you’re travelling or experiencing something new — you have to expect the unexpected. And this is doubly, triply true of travel in India! It’s also especially true of doing something that is off-the-radar for most people from the west, where spirituality, and even just the concept of looking within, is nowadays considered a radical notion.

Looking within is exactly what you do at an ashram, and if you’re new to it, you may not know where to start — or where to look. That’s what the daily routine is for. The daily routine grounds you in the life of the ashram and provides you with a map. The “destination” is your unique experience and epiphanies. When in doubt, follow the routine and have faith that something will happen! And if that something turns out to be a catharsis, the routine will support you as you go through it.

I always go through a few very uncomfortable days of unwinding when I first get to the ashram. I usually feel like I have the flu, but I know it’s the symptoms of a natural detoxification. Click here to read the full article What to expect at an ashram and the daily routine.

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Travel is an experience in perception

Mariellen — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:30:25 +0000

Travel to India is like going through the looking glass

When we travel, we learn as much about ourselves as our destinations

WHEN I TRAVEL, especially in India, I feel like Alice in Wonderland; I feel like I’ve fallen into the rabbit hole, or stepped through the looking glass. I lose my bearings and everything is challenged, including my sense of self in the world and my ideas about how life and people should be.

And the experience of being in the alternate universe of a foreign country has helped me become more aware of myself and of the role perception plays in shaping reality.

In India, I meet other foreigners who tell me they think Pahar Ganj in Delhi is “the real India,” and who say the only way to travel in India is by staying in 150-rupee-a-night hovels. I also meet Delhi-born Indians who tell me they think Pahar Ganj is a ghetto and wouldn’t go near it. They prefer Delhi’s five star hotels and the shopping malls of Gurgaon.

When I live with my partner’s Indian family in Delhi, I am accepted into the family and I live as an Indian. But when I travel, I am seen as a foreigner and as if I know nothing about the culture. What’s the truth?

The truth was a mirror in the hands of God. It fell, and broke into pieces. Everybody took a piece of it, and they looked at it and thought they had the truth. ~ Rumi

The truth is, we can only see the world through our own window. And the nature of our window depends on our culture, gender, age, background, experiences, beliefs, judgments, IQ, EQ, and everything else that goes into making us who we are.

Perception is the reason one person loves Thailand and another Rome. Perception is why traveling can be fun and exciting; though you are visiting a place that is “normal” to the people who live there, to you it is novel and highly stimulating.

Perception is the reason one person’s idea of an adventure is to get drunk on the beach with other travelers in Goa, whereas for someone else it would be living in a mud hut for a year in Africa and volunteering to work with AIDS orphans.

I have long been interested in perception and the nature of consciousness. I studied Gestalt Therapy for six years and practiced as a therapist for seven years. I’ve also studied and practiced yoga for close to 20 years. Both say the same things: truth is in your experience, your experience is coloured by your perception, and you are a co-creator in your perception and thus in your reality of life.

And they both recommend increasing your mindfulness — your consciousness — to become aware of yourself. Yoga says you are a drop in the ocean of consciousness. You can become aware of yourself as a single drop and as part of the ocean.

We do not see the world as it is. We see the world as we are. ~ Talmud

I always advise people to go to India with an open and trusting attitude. India is like the cave that Yoda sends Luke into. Luke asks, “What will I find there?” and Yoda answers, “Only what you bring in with you.”

I went to India knowing I would change, but not knowing how. Though I was lucky to have a very soft landing at the beginning of my six-month trip, I was still gob-smacked by the traffic, chaos, colour, and noise. On my first car drive in Delhi, I felt like I was on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Horns honking, cows in the road, bicycles piled high with unlikely goods careening between the cars, no one paying any attention to the lanes or the rules. It seemed like madness.

Five months later, when I strode confidently through Connaught Place in central Delhi and noticed that the touts didn’t bother me — they could see I wasn’t a newbie and therefore not a prime target — I was thrilled. I realized I had found my “India legs” and it felt like one of the biggest accomplishments of my life. I had discovered both inner strength and a much higher degree of tolerance and flexibility.

Since then I have traveled often to India, living with my Indian partner and his family, studying with my yoga teacher in Rishikesh, and trying to learn and understand what eastern spiritual leaders have been teaching since the dawn of recorded time: that truth is in your experience. You are not the center of the universe, but you are the center of your universe.

The wisdom of the ancient rishis (sages), who developed the art and science of yoga, gained their wisdom not with external instruments of measure, but by meditating. Deepak Chopra called them “Einsteins of consciousness.” They used the human mind as a portal to the universe.

The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances. ~ Viktor Frankl

It seems to me that it’s hard to see your own wallpaper. We all have preconceived ideas about the world; we carry around a set of assumptions, but we often don’t realize it until something comes along to shake us up. Like travel.

But even travelers and people who blog about travel spend what I think is an inordinate amount of time trying to get others to agree to their truth; or not realizing that their version of the truth is personal. For example, so many discussions are around trying to figure out what’s “right” or what’s “cool” or what’s “authentic,” whereas only the person who is experiencing it knows whether it’s right, cool, or authentic.

I’m not saying I do not fall into this trap — I do. It’s hard to be a conscious person. But I think it’s worth trying.

I know from my own experience that it can be humbling to find out you are not the center of the universe. But if you learn the lesson with a dose of humility, it can open up a new universe to you. It can open you up to realizing that there is only one thing you can change or control, and that’s your attitude. It is only one thing, but it is a very powerful thing.

[Note: Originally published by Brave New Traveler, January 2011]

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Second Travel+Escape roundup

Mariellen — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:32:20 +0000

Immersive Travel columns on Travel+Escape: Kerala, Costa Rica and Cuba

In December 2011, I started writing a bi-monthly “column” for the Travel+Escape website — which complements the new Canadian TV channel — about immersive travel. To find out more, read my first round up, What is immersive travel? Here’s a synopsis of my most recent columns.

Exhale at a tropical health spa on the coast of Kerala

I’m lying on a heavy, teak table with my eyes shut, smelling herbal-tinged oil as it heats on a nearby burner and listening to the unfamiliar murmurs of two young women speaking Malayalam. Together, they slap the warmed oil onto my skin and, in perfect rhythm, massage both sides of my body at once. And as their voices begin to sound like Indian Ocean waves lapping the beach, I slip away into a South Indian version of paradise; an oily, wood-scented, tropical state of bliss.

This four-handed massage, called Pizzichili, was prescribed for me by my Ayurvedic doctor at Shinshiva — an Ayurvedic resort on the coast of Kerala. If this is medicine, give me more! Ayurveda is the ancient, time-honoured Indian system of healthcare that seeks to bring the body into a state of balance, and therefore wellness, primarily through the use of diet, herbs and oil massage treatments; and Kerala is the world centre for Ayruveda. Ayurvedic clinics, hospitals and resorts, from the simple to the luxurious, line the coast of this gentle, tropical land, one of India’s two most southern states.

To read more, please visit Exhale at a tropical health spa on the coast of Kerala on the Travel+Escape website.

Deep in the Jungle in Costa Rica

It was the boat ride down a remote river, through thick jungle, past an eerie mangrove forest and over crashing, tumultuous waves into the ocean that did it. I felt I had left the world as I knew it behind.

Making it out of the river and into the Pacific Ocean, in a very small, open boat was like passing through a mythical test, and indeed I did think of Odysseus. If you capsized here, you would have to face three terrors: powerful waves that could smash you to pieces against craggy rocks; four-metre crocodiles in the river; or bull sharks in the ocean — for this area, where the fresh water of the river meets the saline of the ocean, is rich feeding ground for crocodiles on one side and sharks on the other.

And that was just the start of my adventure to Bahia Drake – Drake Bay — and the Osa Peninsula, a remote region of southern Costa Rica.

To read more, please visit Deep in the Jungle in Costa Rica on the Travel+Escape website.

Tom Cruise, lost in Havana … and the real Cuba

A long time ago, when I first started traveling, and Cuba was still a developing destination even to French Canadians, I went on a last-minute vacation with my two best girlfriends to a very basic resort on a pristine beach about one hour from Havana.

It was my first time out of North America. I didn’t really have any measure of comparison due to inexperience, but I could still tell we were on a very down-market vacation package.

This was the trip where I came face-to-face with the reality of economic disparity and with my own identity as a middle class Canadian.

To read more, please visit Tom Cruise, lost in Havana … and the real Cuba on the Travel+Escape website.

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I want to Go with Oh to Dublin, Ireland

Mariellen — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 14:09:04 +0000

Dublin is calling me!

Why do I want to go to Dublin, Ireland? Many reasons of course, but mostly because my ancestry is largely Irish and I have never been there; and as a writer, I would love to walk in the footsteps of James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeates and the many other literary giants who lived and wrote in Dublin. Plus … I would love to meet people who share my distinctive round Irish eye sockets and love of talking. My mother always said the Irish were the world’s greatest talkers. Oh, the talking I would do! Yes, I think I could enjoy being a digital nomad.

Go with Oh holiday rentals is currently running a contest for travel bloggers and this is my entry. I picked the city on their list that I most want to go to, and I am listing the top five things I want to do/see … and the more Tweets and shares I get, I guess the better my chances of being picked to actually Go with Oh to Dublin. Hope I have the luck ‘o the Irish on my side. Oh, and there’s something in it for you, too: readers can win fantastic prizes in the Facebook competition. Click the Go with Oh link to find out more, and to enter. Good luck to you, too, cheers.

1. City of story tellers

Story telling and writing (and music) is intrinsic to the soul of Ireland and the Irish, and perhaps nowhere more so than Dublin — which is called the City of Literature. It should come as no surprise that the first place I want to visit is the Dublin Writer’s Museum to find out about Dublin sites associated with some of the city’s famous writers. In fact, Dublin was named a UNESCO City of Literature, the fourth city to be honoured with this distinction. Read on for the other four…

2. In the footsteps of Joyce

I’m actually writing this post on St. Patrick’s Day, but this is not the the day on the calendar of Irish festivities that grabs my interest — no, that would be June 16, Bloomsday. The events of James Joyce’s master work, Ulysses, take place on June 16; and the day is named after the book’s main character, Leopold Bloom.

Every year since 1954, the day has been celebrated by an organized walk along the same route through Dublin that Leopold Bloom took, on June 16, 1904. So, I could literally walk in the footsteps of Joyce — or, at least, one of his characters.

3. Bewley’s Tea and the Grafton Street Cafe

My Irish-heritage grandmother, Nana, lived with us when I was a child and we started having tea parties together from about the time I was four years old. First, she bought me a plastic tea set, and then when I was about six, one made of white china, lavishly decorated with gold trim and scenes from Versailles (I think).

I have been a tea drinker from then until now, and I have had several friends bring me back boxes of Bewley’s tea when they visited Dublin. So, I would definitely make a beeline for the Grafton Street Cafe, which is a heritage building in its own right. The Bewley family has been in the tea trade since 1835.

4. Music, music, music

Sinead O’Connor, U2 and The Chieftains are just some of the well-known musicians who hail from Dublin — the city has a very active musical scene. I love Irish music, whether it’s traditional, folk (Van Morrison), new age (Enya), rock (U2, The Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor, etc.). I would make it my mission to find the most happening bars and clubs for lively Irish music, old and new.

5. Walking historical Dublin

Trinity College, the Book of Kells, the bridges over the River Liffey, the Guinness Brewery (yes, it’s historical!), the National Museum — there are so many historical things to see in Dublin, I can imagine spending days just walking around, perhaps with a good map and guidebook or on an organized tour … or perhaps I’ll meet one of those charming, loquacious men that Ireland is famous for (and that my mother warned me about!) and he can show me around …

Please tweet this post and tag it @GowithOh. Thank you !

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Happy birthday Delhi

Mariellen — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:00:32 +0000

Lodhi Garden, New Delhi

Delhi turns 100 as capital of India

The anniversary in Delhi is greeted with mixed feelings, but not by me

When I was getting ready to travel to India the first time, back in 2005, I had several friends warn me: “You won’t like Delhi. It’s crowded, it’s polluted, the people are aggressive, you will be pestered to distraction.” I’d heard lots of stories about Pahar Ganj, the grubby “traveler’s ghetto;” the challenges of buying tickets and arranging any kind of transportation; the scams and the con artists; the crowds and chaos.

However, my first morning in Delhi, I walked out into the warm, December sunshine, on the big, white marble terrace of my friend’s home in South Delhi and was greeted by the family, who offered me breakfast. Later, a man arrived with a huge bundle of gorgeous shawls and fabrics, and I sat on the terrace drinking tea, with the ladies of the family and shopped. It was all very civilized and I felt I had arrived in heaven, not the hell that I was promised.

That’s when my love affair with Delhi began, and it has never ended — though I have had my moments of frustration and annoyance, like everyone else; and witnessed heart-breaking scenes of poverty at the side of the road.

Pink sunset at Qutab Minar, Delhi

Celebrating the city

On December 12, 1911, during a magnificent durbar on the outskirts of Delhi, King George V proclaimed that the capital of the British Raj would be moved from Kolkata to Delhi. For the next 20 years, the new city of New Delhi was built, under the leadership of visionary architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.

So, while the anniversary of Delhi is greeted with mixed feelings by Indians — who are usually not keen to celebrate anything the British Raj created — I am quietly celebrating my home-away-from home — the city that greeted me so hospitably when I first arrived in Delhi, and continues to be my beloved home base in India. I have written about Delhi several times on Breathedreamgo. This is a blog about enjoying the cultural Delights of Delhi. And this is scenes from my South Delhi neighbourhood.

In an article about New Delhi at the time of the city’s inauguration, in 1931 (New Delhi, The First Impression) the very talented travel writer Robert Byron wrote, “The surprise which awaits the traveler on his first view of the imperial capital will be proportionate to the fixity of his previous ideas about it.” This was certainly true for me; no one told me that New Delhi is also beautiful. And gracious, historical, cultural, green, spacious and a paradise for shoppers and foodies.

To find out how to spend a day in New Delhi — the planned city the British built — read my story in the Toronto Star: Aging Gracefully: New Delhi at 100. And read on to discover my top 10 favourite things to do in Delhi.

Jama Masjid, Old Delhi

My top 10 favourite things about Delhi:

soft mornings and pink sunsets
the inspired and majestic symmetry of the planned city of New Delhi
the profusion of green: leafy enclaves, tree-lined boulevards, gracious gardens, lush parks, verdant historical sites
shopping! at Khan Market, Lajpat Nagar, Hauz Khas, Karol Bagh, South Extension, Janpath, Sunder Nagar, Greater Kailash 1 M- and N-Block markets, Aurobindo Market, etc.
ancient historical treasures, especially Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar
modern historical treasures, especially India Gate, Gandhi Smirti and Raj Ghat
spiritual Delhi, especially Lotus Temple, Sivananda Centre in Kailash Colony, ISKCON temple, and the tiny, ancient Shiv Mandir in Panch Shila Park
food glorious food — from mini-tiffin at Saravana Bhavan in Janpath to dining at one of the world’s most beautiful restaurants, Spice Route at the Imperial Hotel; from chic watering holes like Olive to paneer tikka to go
strolling in Lodhi Garden
having chai with my Indian family on the marble terrace in South Delhi

I could go on, there are many things I love about Delhi. And though the city is actually thousands of years old, and has been the capital of at least seven kingdoms, I will take this moment to wish the city and it’s 14 million inhabitants happy anniversary anyway. I miss you! Please save me some cake.

Join the fun on Twitter and let us all know what you love about Delhi / Dilli: #whatiloveaboutdilli

shopping at Karol Bagh Market, Delhi

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How to celebrate Diwali in India

Mariellen — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:25:46 +0000

Photo courtesy San Sharma

Happy Diwali!

How to enjoy the Festival of Lights

Diwali means “rows of lighted lamps” and it is also called the Festival of Light. It is the most enthusiastically celebrated festival in India — which is saying a lot! Diwali is the equivalent of Christmas — a big, festive celebration that brings families together and is the highlight of the holiday season. There are five days of festivities, each marked with different pujas (prayers) and rituals.

I love Diwali, and though I have only spent one Diwali in India, I remember it fondly. I went shopping with Ajay’s mother for gifts, decorations, flowers and sweets a few days before, and on the morning of Diwali she had me decorating the family mandir before my eyes were completely open. Later, I helped fill hundreds of small diyas with oil and wicks, and then place and light them around the terrace and down the stairs, etc. In the early evening we had a puja in the mandir, which was my favourite part of the entire day. And at night, we joined the millions of other Delhi-ites blasting fireworks and firecrackers into the night sky. It was deafening and created hazardous smog, but I appreciated the gusto with which people were celebrating.

There are lots of other places to celebrate Diwali in India; read on for some suggestions culled from Breathedreamgo Twitter and Facebook friends.

The meaning of Diwali

The festival celebrates the triumph of good over ill, and the ascendancy of light over dark. The diyas symbolize this, and also help light the way for Rama’s return from exile, after rescuing his wife Sita and vanquishing the demon Ravana, with the help of Hanuman. This is the drama played out in the Hindu epic, The Ramayana, which is one of the major texts underpinning Hinduism and Indian culture (along with the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Mahabharat).

Where to go to celebrate Diwali in India

I have only celebrated Diwali in Delhi, but I know festivities occur all over the country. I asked my Twitter followers and Facebook friends where to go to celebrate Diwali, and this is what they came back with.

Twitter 

protectwildlife Varanasi. All the ghats are decorated and lit up with oil lamps, its a spectacular sight. A night to remember in the ancient town.

YogeshMali: Home is where the heart is, and also the best place to celebrate Diwali.

 AboutIndia’s Sharell Cook: For Diwali, Jaipur has amazing lights and Goa has burning of demon effigies. (Here’s a link to About India’s Diwali in Goa post.)

Facebook

Roma: Jaipur is awesome during Diwali as the different markets and plaza compete for the “Best Decorated” award. I have also visited Golden Temple, Sri Harmandir Sahib, in Amritsar, which is again a treasure of a Diwali memory as they put out thousands of earthen pots.

Deepa Krishnan of Delhi Magic and Mumbai Magic: It’s not a ‘public’ festival. There are places where you can get glimpses if you are tourist; like for example in Mumbai if you go to Shivaji Park in the evening you will see people of the neighbourhood bursting crackers. But that’s about it. The celebration is mostly indoors. I put my guests in homestays, if they come for Diwali or Holi; that way they can experience the festival.

Photographer Sunil Vaidyanathan: In the potters village of Kumbhar Wada in Dharavi, Mumbai.

Ram Vakkalanka: Indian festivals have deep spiritual significance, apart from the celebratory/fun aspect. They almost always involve performing Puja to one of the Deities. Most of the time, they are celebrated at home with family and friends in a Satsang-type of celebration. Of course, India is also catching up with US, with retailers celebrating the festivals more vigorously than people themselves.

Lachman Balanai: After the puja (prayer) to Goddess Lakshmi (to bless your home with wealth and prosperity) or Ganesh, it is always good to get together with your extended family and have fun. Gifts are exchanged and love is shared. It’s all very cool. Everyone shares their interpretation of the Ramayana. Diwali is the festival that unites all of India, like New Year’s unites all of the world. It is in fact our New Year, where old account books are closed and new ones opened. Fireworks are lit. Warm feelings all around.

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How to use the toilet in India

Mariellen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 03:19:19 +0000

Indians don’t use toilet paper

Learn how to use an “eastern latrine” from Wilbur

If you want to learn how to use an Indian toilet, and have a good laugh too, watch this hilarious video from Wilbur Sargunaraj. If you travel in India, you may find you actually need this information: Aside from modern homes and high-end hotels, most of the toilets in India are holes-in-the-floor with water and no paper. This is a good skill to learn; trust me on this one.

By the way, Wilbur is actually a very talented musician, as well as a cultural ambassador extraordinaire. This is from his Wikipedia entry: “He is widely known as India’s first YouTube sensation. He has racked up nearly 3.1 million views for his unique music and instructional videos. And he comes with the added promise of ‘Quality, First Class, Sargunaraj Trademark.’ What his videos lack in production sheen, they make up for in unabashed entertainment.”

I will be profiling him on Breathedreamgo soon. We had a chance to meet while he was in Toronto and I found him to be a warm and wonderful person – and also very good-looking, behind his comic persona! Click more to watch the video.

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How to get ready to visit India

Mariellen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:10:22 +0000

Photo of Naga Sahdu, Kumbh Mela, Haridwar India 2010 by Jean-Pierre Muller

India is a mirror: start polishing

Have you longed to go to India — but were daunted by not knowing where to start, what to bring, how to prepare or where to go?

India deserves its reputation for being both the most potentially transformative travel destination on earth — and one of the most challenging to newbies. There is magic in learning how to be in India: how to deal with the chaos, crowds, seemingly inefficient methods, bizarre contradictions, extremes of every kind, lower hygienic standards, heat, dust, and feeling that you are a target for every con artist, tout, tuktuk driver and shyster in the country.

But if India was just a nuisance and a challenge, it wouldn’t be India. Because India is also full of joy, celebration, devotion, colour, spectacle, kindness, warmth, openness, trust and beauty. Many foreigners — myself included — go to India prepared for the difficulties, and then find themselves surprised by how much India moves them. If you let India affect you, as I did, you might “fall in love” with the people and the place. And you might find yourself radically transformed. Notions once held dear are abandoned. Fears once harboured set sail. Narrowness is replaced with perspective, and judgement with compassion.

The trick to being in India is to be prepared – but not TOO prepared! Read on to find out the number one thing you need to know before visiting India. And also about a free information session I am holding on September 14, 2011 in Toronto.

Evening aarti in Haridwar, India during Kumbh Mela 2011

Attitude is everything

The first time I went to India, back in 2005, I took a suitcase full of medications for such things as malaria and diarrhea, a complete homeopathic kit, a mosquito net, an emergency medical kit that included gloves and syringes, a book about staying healthy in Asia, guidebooks and all kinds of other paraphernalia I found I didn’t need. The travel medical clinic in Toronto, and other sources I had consulted, had whipped me into a fear-frenzy!

And then I landed in India and found it to be a very civilized place. The medical centre I went to in Delhi was frankly superior to what we have in Canada; and the Indian family I was staying with (rightly) laughed at all my stuff.

After five lengthy trips to the subcontinent, I’ve learned to get the basics in place — and then just let India flow. Visas and vaccinations are important, but just as important is attitude. Going to India with the right attitude is the single most important thing you can do to prepare.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: India is a mirror. Whatever attitude you bring with you will be reflected back at you. If you bring fear, scary things will happen. But if you travel with a non-judgmental attitude, and with openness, trust, respect and genuine curiosity, you will have wonderful and life-changing experiences.

Getting blessed by temple elephants in Tamil Nadu, 2006

Getting ready to go to India

To get you ready to go to magical India, and find out what you need to know, do and bring, I’m holding a free information session, along with travel and tour expert Deborah Peniuk of AYA LIFE. You will be treated to some tasty Indian snacks, such as bhel puri, samosas and pakoras – the same types of foods you will see served in India.

The information session will cover:

what you need to know about getting a Visa for visiting India, and passport requirements
how to prepare your body and your mind: recommended vaccinations, suggested homeopathic and herbal remedies and cultivating a successful attitude
what to pack, what to bring and what you can expect to buy in India
all things money-related: how much to bring, how to change money, the currency system in India and exchange rates, etc.
a briefing on what to eat and drink – and what to avoid – while in India
what to expect in terms of transportation, sites, street life and people
how to visit temples and perform rituals

DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 ~ 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
PLACE: Kama Indian Restaurant, 214 King St. West, Toronto

So please come with all your questions and I will answer them to the best of my ability. I have traveled for more than 14 months, alone, from one end of India to the other and I have amassed a wealth of experience to draw upon. If you can’t make it to the information session, email me at mariellen [@] breathe dream go . com or ask a question in the comments, below.

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Buy Song of India, a collection of 10 feature stories about my travels in India.

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Thank you for reading. Please visit Breathedreamgo or stop by my Facebook page at Breathedreamgo.